1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates in general to certain new and useful improvements in water sprinkler heads and, more particularly, to an improved sprinkler head which allows for turning water flow off and on directly at the sprinkler head to enable removal of the spray distributor, or disc, or so-called xe2x80x9cinsertxe2x80x9d and, in some cases, the filtering screen underlying the insert.
2. Brief Description of Related Art
Lawn and garden sprinkler systems are common in many parts of the United States and in many other countries where the climate is hot and grass or other vegetation would readily perish if not watered either physically by one or more individuals or through the aid of an irrigation sprinkler system. Sprinkler systems are also more frequently used in periods in which the climate is particularly hot during certain periods of the year.
All irrigation sprinkler systems are connected to a water source, such as a municipal water supply, and contain relatively shallow underground pipes which extend under the ground surface and contain sprinkler heads projecting upwardly from these underground pipes in order to apply water to selected areas of a lawn or garden to be irrigated. Typically, in an average yard or lawn area, a sprinkler head would be designed to apply water to an area of, e.g. approximately four to fifteen feet in diameter, or more, depending upon the water pressure, the type of sprinkler head which is employed and the area which needs to be watered. As a rough average, approximately twelve to twenty-five sprinkler heads are used to irrigate an average yard or lawn, depending upon such factors as valve size, type of head employed, water pressure in the area, and the like.
The water sprinkler system normally employed uses a plurality of underground pipes, as aforesaid, and which are connected to a source of water, as aforesaid, and which is controlled by a master control valve at the head of the sprinkler system. However, if a master control valve is not actually used, the water meter effectively operates as that control valve.
The water which passes through the underground pipes and exits from the sprinkler heads is usually controlled by an anti-siphoning valve which is oftentimes controlled by a time clock and which components are frequently located at a point remote from the actual irrigated area. Moreover, each of the sprinkler valves would be governed by that master processor or master clock. The master clock and associated processor cause the opening of a valve, frequently referred to as a xe2x80x9cRCVxe2x80x9d (remote control valve) and which is also frequently located at a remote site and which allows for water flow through the various sprinkler heads. The RCV and the time clock are connected electrically. The same master clock and processor will cause a cessation of the water flow through the remote control valve after a predetermined period of time which is programmed into the clock or processor.
Water lines which carry water delivered from sources, such as the municipal water supply, or from wells, frequently carry small particles of dirt, pebbles, organic matter, pipe corrosion accumulations, installation tailings and other debris. This debris, left unchecked, quickly clogs up the orifices and nozzles of sprinkler heads rendering them unoperational. Even more debris enters subterranean sprinkler lines when an upstream head is broken, either by pedestrian or vehicular traffic, or during lawn maintenance operations, e.g. mowing.
Located at the top of the sprinkler head is that part commonly called an xe2x80x9cinsertxe2x80x9d and which is generally screwed into the top of the sprinkler head. The insert is the part which contains the orifice from which the water exits. Inserts are constructed in various configurations, usually full inserts, or one-half or one-fourth inserts, bubblers, etc. The exact form of the insert is not critical in connection with the present invention, although access to that insert is important in the invention.
Hence, sprinkler heads and/or their inserts and nozzles must frequently be cleaned in order to enable a proper spray, that is, in a proper distribution of water, and water application to the ground surface. The problem, is so ubiquitous that virtually every commercially available plastic sprinkler head, both domestic and foreign, is constructed with a built-in screen, or contains a removable screen, in order to filter out debris so as to avoid clogging the orifices of the nozzles and inserts. This holds true for all types of sprinkler heads, including pop-up heads, stationary shrub heads, gear-driven rotor heads, large heads or small. (Only impact heads do not incorporate a screen.) However, inasmuch as the screen collects this debris contained in the delivered water, the screen necessarily requires periodic cleaning.
Insofar as removable screens are concerned, during maintenance operations, it is common for them to become lost or not be replaced due to oversight, which allows the debris to travel directly to the area of the orifices of the insert or nozzle. Even with screens in place, very small pieces of debris often get through the screen and bind together between the screen and the orifice to eventually clog up the orifice.
Sprinkler heads placed at ground level also suffer clogged orifices due to small stones and insects entering the orifices from the area surrounding the heads and then becoming stuck within.
The present method for changing inserts or cleaning sprinkler inserts or nozzles and flushing out the entire sprinkler head or pop-up shaft to ensure all debris is removed from the subterranean lines, requires turning off and on the water at the water source, which may be at the main valve or at the time clock (which electronically controls one or more valves.) For one person to clean just one sprinkler insert requires at least four separate trips back and forth to the valve or controller: one trip to remove the insert and the screen, another to flush out the sprinkler head or pop-up shaft, another to replace the insert and screen, and a final trip to shut off the valve after verifying that there is a proper spray and that the sprinkler is functioning as intended.
Another method of maintenance is to use two-person crews with one doing the cleaning, and the other operating the controller or opening and closing the valve. A third option, occasionally available, when the water volume and pressure is extremely low, is for the maintenance person to remove the insert, clean it out andxe2x80x94maybexe2x80x94be able to replace it with the water running, but that person will become water saturated. This cannot be accomplished with pop-up shafts, but only on stationary shrub heads. Also, a great deal of water is wasted in this manner.
For purposes of cleaning the sprinkler insert or the underlying screen, or otherwise, replacing the insert, it would be more convenient m, open or close a valve in the field, directly at the location where the problem exists, rather than walk to the irrigation time clock or to the remote control valve, which could be a short distance, e.g., 20 feet, or a long distance away of 200 feet or more. In some cases, time clocks are installed inside of a locked building for which the landscaping is provided, thereby interfering with proper maintenance. As can easily be seen, a great deal of effort must be expended for cleaning out sprinkler heads where the valve or time clock for the project may be located at a somewhat remote point from the sprinkler head being serviced.
At present, there is nothing available in the sprinkler head industry that provides for turning the water supply on and off at the immediate location of the sprinkler head, upstream of the insert or nozzle, in a manner which provides for complete flushing of the water passageway duct after removal of the insert. Virtually all commercially available sprinkler heads are produced with removable inserts or nozzles.
One commercially available sprinkler head includes a valve mechanism for shutting down the water to the nozzle area so the nozzle can be changed. This latter design comprises a large rotor-driven head for covering large areas and does not appear easily adaptable to small garden and planter-type sprinkler heads and ordinary insert-types of pop-up heads and cannot be applied to retrofittable fittings. Although this particular mechanism cuts off the water only to the top section of the pop-up shaft, the built-in screen is necessarily located near the bottom of the pop-up shaft, a substantial distance from the nozzle area. This product does not allow for the valve mechanism to be anterior to or upstream to the screen, even if the screen were moved to a location close to the nozzle. Therefore, cleaning the screen area requires complete removal of the pop-up shaft assembly from the sprinkler housing. This activity requires accessing the clock or remote control valve to shut off the water to the entire system to allow servicing of any one head.
The aforesaid sprinkler head design also does not allow for thorough flushing of the water passageway duct anterior to the insert or nozzle area without an expansive and time-consuming process of removing the gear driven rotor assembly located in the passageway chamber. This action calls for removing the nozzle cavity and adjusting mechanism from the top section of the sprinkler head. However, the nozzle-receiving cavity and adjusting mechanism is machine-pressed into place and requires special tools for its removal.
Beyond the foregoing, there is no commercially available sprinkler head which allows for gradual shutting off the water to the insert or to an insert area which is valve-operated. Further, no sprinkler head or pop-up shaft provides for thorough, unobstructed controlled flushing of the water passageway duct anterior to the insert or nozzle.
Another presently available product has a stated purpose of immediately shutting off if a pop-up shaft breaks or is cut off, as for example, by a lawn mower. The fountain of water that usually results is avoided so the other sprinkler heads in the same system continue to function normally.
The mechanism that shuts off the water to the upper part of the pop-up shaft below where the screen and insert are located is a reverse plunger containing small holes at its perimeter through which water passes from the riser pipe. When debris clogs up those small holes, removal of the entire pop-up shaft becomes necessary to flush out the pop-up shaft. Naturally, this requires shutting down the water supply to the entire system. This product also requires all of the components of the insert assembly to be in place to depress the plunger so the sprinkler head can be returned to operation. This type of construction is difficult to use with ordinary stationary shrub-type sprinkler heads.
Generally speaking, there are only two types of sprinkler heads that are employed in most irrigation systems, especially in the majority of residential irrigation systems installed for average-sized homes and average-sized apartment dwellings. The same holds true for neighborhood shopping centers, small to medium-sized industrial buildings, perimeter or parking lot plantings for schools, large shopping centers or complexes and throughout many parkway areas in which lawns are planted between the street and the sidewalk. Sprinkler heads that appear in lawns are almost always pop-up type sprinklers so that they do not interfere with mowing of the lawn or other cleaning of the lawn. The second type of head which is used and, particularly, in shrubbery and so-called ground cover areas, is the stationary type known as a xe2x80x9cshrub headxe2x80x9d and which usually extends about an inch to as much as twelve inches, usually or four to six inches, above a ground surface.
When it is necessary to clean or repair the sprinkler head, or any part thereof, e.g., the screen below the head, it is almost always necessary to cut-off water flow to that head. Otherwise, when the insert is removed from the head, water will exit usually in a substantial volume, since a removed insert presents the point of least resistance to water flow under pressure throughout the entire irrigation system.
In order to remove the water emitting nozzle or insert from the sprinkler head, it is necessary to cut-off the flow of water to the sprinkler head. Upon determining that the area near a sprinkler head is not receiving sufficient water, the gardener or maintenance personnel must turn on the RCV, either at the time clock or manually open the RCV and then return to the problem area to observe the water that is actually being emitted from the various sprinkler heads in a certain locale. At that point, the gardener or maintenance personnel must then walk back to the master valve or to the RCV or to the controller, turn off the water valve, controller or RCV, and walk back to the sprinkler head for removing the sprinkler emitting disc or so-called xe2x80x9cinsertxe2x80x9d from the sprinkler head and allow for cleaning thereof.
Prior to insertion of the water emitting disc back into the sprinkler head, it is necessary to flush water from the sprinkler head itself. Consequently, and in order to perform the flushing operation, the gardener or irrigation personnel must then walk back to the master valve or controller, turn on the master valve or controller, and allow for flushing for several seconds or minutes. Naturally, the same personnel must be present at the flushing of the water line during the flushing operation. Thereafter, the same maintenance personnel then walks back to the master valve or controller, turns off the master valve and again returns to the particular sprinkler head which is being cleaned in order to insert the spray emitting disc. Following this, the same maintenance personnel must walk back to the master valve or controller in order to turn on the master valve, or RCV or controller and return to the head to be sure that it is now functioning properly and make any necessary adjustments to the water flow and/or direction of the spray.
It can be observed that the amount of the personnel hours lost in the pure physical act of walking back and forth can be quite substantial and necessarily adds to the cost of an irrigation bill from the maintenance personnel or the like. Moreover, it consumes a substantial amount of effort and, in some cases, frequently results in malfunctioning sprinkler heads not being cleaned and repaired as frequently as they would otherwise be repaired or cleaned.
In addition to the foregoing, pop-up sprinkler heads are much more complicated in their construction than are the so-called xe2x80x9cshrub headsxe2x80x9d. The pop-up heads entail moving parts and which require water pressure to force the heads upwardly over the ground surface in order to properly emit the water spray to the ground surface. Other than the very top of the head, pop-up heads are completely buried in the ground making them more difficult to service. However, for the proper operation of the pop-up heads, the dirt and debris must again be frequently cleaned from the spray emitting orifice or the screen therebeneath.
Almost all commercially available sprinkler heads have a flow control feature. This flow control feature resides in the form of a small screw located at the very top of the insert which can regulate the flow of water outwardly of the head. By tightening the screw down to the point where there is no water flow, cessation of the water flow has effectively been achieved. However, in each of these cases, one could not remove the head or the insert of the head since there is no upstream point in proximity to the sprinkler head to cut-off water flow for a temporary period.
There are numerous sprinkler heads reported in the literature and available in the prior art. For example, U.S. Pat. No. 2,360,203 to Fox, U.S. Pat. No. 1,639,162 to Brooks, U.S. Pat. No. 1,681,719 to Baldwin, and U.S. Pat. No. 3,263,930 to Friedmann, et al, disclose various types of pop-up heads. Each of these sprinklers may contain a feature to control the spray and, to some extent, operate as a type of flow control. However, none of these sprinkler head types include any means to stop water flow to the insert at a nearby point upstream from the sprinkler head insert. In addition, U.S. Pat. No. 1,078,543 to Hadden discloses a sprinkler head having a type of head position adjustment using a set screw. However, and here again, there is no means to cut-off water flow to the head at a point adjacent to and upstream of the sprinkler head insert.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,282,508 to Roberts includes an internal adjustment screw, although again it would not permit opening and closing of the sprinkler head at a point upstream of the sprinkler head in order to permit removal of the insert without turning off water at a remote source. U.S. Pat. No. 4,813,605 to Frank Fuller also discloses a system including a threaded valve stem capable of being threaded into a fluid duct. However, in the Fuller patent, the screw serves as a restrictor and only balances the amount of water which exits the nozzle of the head. This type of mechanism would be useful where a series of heads are connected in a series to a sprinkler system.
Notwithstanding, the device in the Fuller patent would not function to work as an off-on valve for temporarily allowing servicing of a sprinkler head.
U.S. Pat. No. 3,342,423 to Hruby discloses a flow regulating discharge valve which is designed to provide no flow and to allow flow at a maximum flow condition. The head, however, is a one piece sprinkler head such that there could be no facility for cleaning the head or changing any part of the head. Hruby, however, would only allow for placement of a filtering screen below the regulatory valve which would then require shutting down the entire system in order to enable cleaning of the screen.
It would therefore be desirable to provide some means to shut off water flow and again turn on water flow to a sprinkler head through manual actuation at the sprinkler head in a position such that an insert at the sprinkler head may be removed and/or the sprinkler head otherwise replaced without the need of walking to a remote site or operating in conjunction with personnel at a remote site in order to clean or repair that sprinkler head or its underlying screen. In other words, it would be desirable to be able to control the flow of water to a sprinkler head from a point upstream of the sprinkler head, but in very close proximity to the sprinkler head.
It would also be desirable to provide a means for shutting off water flow and again re-initiating water flow merely by turning a screw on the side of the sprinkler head assembly one-quarter of a turn in order to achieve a gradual change between maximum flow and no-flow conditions.
It is, therefore, one of the primary objects of the present invention to provide a sprinkler head which allows for gradual cessation and re-initiation of water flow to a sprinkler head from a point upstream of the insert of the sprinkler head, but yet in close proximity to the insert of the sprinkler head.
It is another object of the present invention to provide a unique water sprinkler head of the type stated which allows for cleaning, replacement and/or repair of the sprinkler head without walking to a remote site from the sprinkler head or operating in conjunction with other personnel at a remote site to control water flow to that sprinkler head.
It is a further object of the present invention to provide a unique water sprinkler head of the type stated which includes an internal valve component installed in the head which would allow personnel to gradually cut off water flow to and re-allow water flow to that sprinkler head by simple manual actuation at the sprinkler head.
It is an additional object of the present invention to provide a unique water sprinkler head of the type stated which allows for cleaning and/or repair of a sprinkler head both efficiently and conveniently without the need for extra or other types of tools and which resides in the feature of a simple valve construction integrated into the sprinkler head.
It is a salient object of the present invention to provide a unique water sprinkler head of the type stated which can be constructed at a relatively low cost and which is highly efficient and simple in operation.
It is yet another object of the present invention to provide a method of turning water flow off and re-initiating water flow to a sprinkler head from a point in close proximity to a sprinkler head in order to allow for repair, replacement and/or maintenance of the sprinkler head without interrupting water flow to an entire sprinkler system.
It is still another object of the present invention to provide a method of using a retrofit device in existing sprinkler systems to employ a modified sprinkler fitting upstream of the sprinkler head and which would incorporate an internal valve component which allows personnel to cut off water flow and to re-establish water flow to the sprinkler by simple manual actuation. Moreover, this actuation occurs directly at the sprinkler head assembly at a point just below the sprinkler head itself.
It is another salient object of the present invention to provide a sprinkler head assembly in which water flow can be gradually turned from a maximum flow condition to a no-flow condition merely by turning a screw head through an arc of less than 360xc2x0 and typically an arc of 90xc2x0.
With the above and other objects in view, my invention resides in the novel features of form, construction, arrangement and combination of parts and components presently described and pointed out in the claims.
The present invention resides in a novel sprinkler head which allows for gradual shutting off water to the sprinkler head without shutting down the water at an origination point in an entire sprinkler system or segment of that sprinkler system. The sprinkler head is constructed so that the water flow may be cut-off and reinitiated upstream of the water exit location in that sprinkler head and which allows for repair, replacement and/or cleaning of the sprinkler head.
In one embodiment, the sprinkler head assembly may constitute a shrub or stationary head connected to the upper end of the riser tube. In this embodiment, the control valve would be preferably located in the body of the base of the stationary sprinkler head. In another embodiment, the sprinkler head assembly constitutes a pop-up sprinkler head and the control valve would be located in the pop-up shaft forming part of that sprinkler head. In still another embodiment of the invention, a retrofitable coupling or adapter may be provided and which would be located between a riser tube and a sprinkler head forming part of that assembly. In this case, the adaptive coupling would include the control valve. Another retrofit embodiment would permit incorporation of the control valve into a vertical riser TUBE to which the sprinkler head is affixed. In each case, water flow to the sprinkler head assembly may be temporarily interrupted to allow cleaning and repair or replacement of the sprinkler head from a point upstream of the insert, but yet in close proximity to that sprinkler head assembly.
In one of the important facets of the present invention, the control valve or so-called xe2x80x9cvalve componentxe2x80x9d or xe2x80x9cvalve mechanismxe2x80x9d, which is located directly at the sprinkler head is preferably integral with the sprinkler head. In broader terms, it is a component part of the sprinkler head assembly. In addition, this component may adopt the form of an adaptive fitting which could be located between the actual head and the riser tube. If incorporated into an existing sprinkler head the adaptive fitting would become a retrofit device for controlling the water flow directly to the sprinkler head.
In substance, there are essentially four ways in which a control valve component can become integral with the sprinkler head assembly and that is by installation in a riser tube or otherwise installation in the body of the sprinkler head. Thirdly, the control valve component could be located in an adaptive fitting which is disposed between the sprinkler head and the riser tube. Finally, the control valve component could be located in the pop-up shaft forming part of the pop-up sprinkler head.
In the case of the shrub head, that is one which extends above a ground surface by a limited distance and is fixed in that position, a small gate valve could be installed into the riser pipe and in a position upstream of that sprinkler head. In this way, upon shutting off the gate valve below the sprinkler head, cleaning of the screen or the insert part of the head can be accomplished readily and simply. This gate valve could be closed to remove the insert and then opened a small amount so as to flush out water from the riser and the head and then again closed off right at the sprinkler head so that the insert could be reinstalled without water saturation of maintenance personnel.
The problem with the above-identified approach is that it would be more costly to both install and to provide for a gate valve installation with the sprinkler head. Moreover, they would be unsightly and even invite vandalism. In addition, these gate valves would often be in an underground location and unserviceable as a result of corrosion, consequently, use of a gate valve would not be desirable.
The present invention thereby provides a device which can be located as a part of the riser piping immediately upstream of a shrub sprinkler head or a part of adaptive fitting as part of a retrofit application, or part of the shrub sprinkler head itself, or located in the pop-up shaft of a pop-up sprinkler. For the stationary sprinkler heads, that is, the so-called shrub sprinkler heads, the device can be configured both for new sprinkler heads and in a retrofit arrangement, as aforesaid. In the case of a new riser sprinkler head construction, a small off/on control valve can be installed in a position within the sprinkler head upstream to the actual insert of the sprinkler head.
The small valve component would effectively cut-off the water flow prior to the insert so that cleaning and flushing may be accomplished easily and with little mechanical involvement and, certainly, without the need for travel back and forth to the water source. The small valve arrangement is in the nature of a small off/on security-type control valve component installed into an area of the base of the sprinkler head, preferably having a reduced bore diameter, coaxial with the riser pipe.
In a second embodiment of the invention in which the small valve construction may be employed as a retrofit arrangement in a stationary sprinkler head, an adaptive fitting with a small stub pipe or a modified connector coupling having an internal bore coaxial with that of the riser pipe would be installed at the riser pipe, or the control valve may be installed into the riser tube itself. In each case, it would be in a position upstream of the sprinkler head. In either case, this would allow for off/on control of water flow to the sprinkler head at the head or area needing service.
In the case of a pop-up sprinkler head, the same off/on valve arrangement would be incorporated into the pop-up shaft. The relatively thin wall cross-sectional thickness of the pop-up shaft will have to be increased, as in the previous embodiments of the invention. This will result in a reduced bore diameter in a region below the screen in order to accommodate an off/on control valve component.
In the present invention, the sprinkler head, including all of the components, such as the body, the screen and the insert, are referred to as a sprinkler head assembly. In the case of the pop-up sprinkler head, the pop-up shaft is part of this assembly. In many cases, the riser tube is also deemed to be part of the sprinkler head assembly. In all cases, and in this respect, the off/on control valve component, which is integral with the sprinkler head assembly, would be incorporated in the pop-up shaft, the riser tube or the body of the sprinkler head or otherwise even a coupling fitted between the riser tube and the sprinkler head.
In all embodiments of the invention, the off-on valve component can also function as a type of regulatory control valve frequently referred to ad a xe2x80x9cflow control valvexe2x80x9d or xe2x80x9cflow controllerxe2x80x9d. However, its primary purpose is to cut-off water flow through the sprinkler head for purposes of enabling maintenance or repair of the sprinkler head without shutting off the entire sprinkler system. Moreover, in each such embodiment of the invention, the off-on control valve component would normally cut off the major portion of the water flow. If there is a minor flow of water passing through the off-on control valve, that is not a significant factor in the sprinkler head being repaired or maintained. Consequently, water flow does not have to be entirely shut off although the substantial volume of the water does have to be temporarily abated.
The off-on control valve component relies upon a screw which is threaded into the duct of the sprinkler head assembly and generally in a position perpendicular to the central axis of the duct. In this way, the valve stem would extend perpendicularly into the axis of the duct. The valve stem is provided with an opening perpendicular to the axis of the valve stem and which can be axially aligned with the duct of the sprinkler head assembly. When in a first or closed position, the opening in the valve stem is located perpendicular to the axis of the duct and is out of fluid communication with the duct such that water flow is stopped. When the valve stem is turned 90xc2x0, the opening in the valve stem becomes aligned with the duct and water passes through the opening in the valve stem and through the duct.
In contrast to the off/on valve mechanism described in the aforesaid co-pending patent application, the valve stem or valve plug of this off/on valve mechanism only requires a relatively small turn as for example, one-fourth of a full revolution. In the aforementioned co-pending patent application, water flow was allowed when the valve stem was threaded out of the axial water carrying duct passing through the sprinkler head assembly. Thus, for full flow, it was necessary to unscrew the valve plug to the point where it was moved beyond the valve duct or at least to a point of one-half the diameter of the duct. For purposes of stopping flow, the valve stem or plug was turned in the opposite direction until an end of the valve abutted against a recess formed in the wall of the sprinkler head assembly adjacent the fluid duct.
In contrast to the prior application, there is no need to completely unscrew or remove the valve stem from the fluid duct in the present invention. It is only necessary to turn the valve stem about one-fourth of a full 360 revolution, from a position where the screw completely blocks fluid flow to a position where an opening in the valve stem becomes aligned with the duct, thereby allowing fluid flow.
This invention possesses many other advantages and has other purposes which may be made more clearly apparent from a consideration of the forms in which it may be embodied. These forms are shown in the drawings forming a part of and accompanying the present specification. They will now be described in detail for purposes of illustrating the general principles of the invention. However, it is to be understood that the following detailed description and the accompanying drawings are not to be taken in a limiting sense.